‘People crave friendship’: thousands flock to resurgence of centuries-old south Asian board game

Carrom, a game in which players flick counters into pockets on a board, has drawn hundreds to events across the UK On a Monday evening in the upstairs room of Dishoom Permit Room in Notting Hill, the atmosphere is already crackling before the games night begins. Chai is poured and passed around, chalk is dusted across wooden boards, and the sharp click of counters striking the surface cuts through the noise of conversation. At one table, Uneeb Khalid, 39, and his friend Varun Solan, 43, are deep in conversation about artificial intelligence while flicking small counters across a wooden board. Later, they reach the final round – and finish in second place. Around them, the room is constantly shifting: players rotate between tables, conversations overlap and games restart in quick succession. Initially, it seems like a casual game night, but for many here, it’s a community in a city where it feels increasingly hard to come by. The game is carrom, a centuries-old board game that originated in south Asia and is described as “playing pool with your fingers” and compared to draughts. Players flick a striker with their fingers to pocket small counters into corner pockets in the bo